Floor-scrubbing device.



w'. H. STRANGE FLOOR BGBUBBING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JAI. 7, 1910.

981,032. Patented Jan. 10,1911.

WILLIM E. STRANGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLOOR-SCRUBBING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Application led January 7, 1910. Serial No. 536,929.

To all whom it may concern.'

.Be it known that I, WILLIAM I-I. STRANGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFloor-Scrubhing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide a rotary machine forscrubbing and polishing floors or like surfaces, or for sandpapering andotherwise smoothing or dressing plane surfaces; to provide a devicehaving an electrical drive from a motor mounted vertically; to provide adevice in which the scrubbing or polishing head is securely mounted torotate within a stationary base on which the driving motor is mounted;and to provide other details of construction insuring reliable andellicient operation of the device, and freedom from exposed gears orother adjuncts dangerous to the operator.

A specific construction embodying this invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of themachine complete with its handle and current supply cord. Fig. 2 is afragmentary section through the base of the machine showing the gears bywhich the polishing head is driven. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating inplan the position and cooperative relation of the motor pinion, theintermediate gear, and the annular gear of the rotary head.

In the construction shown, the driving motor 1 is of the vertical typeand securely bolted to the base 2. A handle 3 is also bolted to thehase, and serves as a conduit for the flexible conductor 4, throughwhich electrical energy is supplied to the electric motor 1. A snapswitch 5 may be mounted on handle 3 near the hand-hold G at the outerend of the handle.

The motor l has a vertical shaft 7 passing down through the center ofbase 2 and carrying on its lower end a pinion S, serviceable for drivingan intermediate gear 9 mounted on the under surface of base 2. The outeredge of base 2 carries a depending flange 10 within which fits anannular head 11 having at its upper end an outstanding flange 12,grooved to form a ball race. On the inner face of this head 11 is anannular gear 13, whereby it can be rotated with respect to the base 2.Antifriction rollers 14 are mounted on lugs secured to the flange 10 andproject inward far enough to engage the out-turned flange 12 of thehead, thereby preventing the head from dropping away from base 2. Base 2has an annular recess for the reception of a ball race 15 of suitablehard material. A plurality of balls 16, held between the ball races 12and 15 permit free rotation of the head 11, and at the same time give tothat head a broad and firm support affording little chance for wabblingof the head when in operation. The lower portion of therotary headcomprises a face plate 18. The upper portion 11 of the head has at itslower edge an outturned flange 17, carrying the face plate 18, to whichthe scrubbing brush 19 or other working element may be connected insuitable manner. f

The operation of the device is as follows: lVheu the switch 5 is closed,admitting electrical energy to the motor 1, the vertical shaft 7 of themotor drives pinion 8, and that operates through the intermediate gear9, and the annular gear 13 to rotate the head 11, which carries thescrubbing brush 19 or other working element. The rotary motion of thebrush 19 insures rapid cleaning and polishing of the floor undertreatment. The device as a whole can be pushed over the floor by meansof handle 13, and is serviceable to give quick and uniform treatment tofloors of large area.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown,it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shownmay be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of thisinvention.

I claim: y

1. In a floor dressing machine, the combination of a stationary basehaving a depending` flange, an electric motor mounted on said base andhaving a vertical shaft, a rotary head having an end inclosed by saidflange, means 011 said [lange to support said head within said flange, aworking element carried by said head, and means between said motor shaftand said rotary head for imparting motion to said head.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of aI base, anelectric motor mounted on said base and having a vertical shaft passingthrough the center of said base, a head supporting said base and havingan annular gear, gears for imparting the motion of said shaft to saidannular gear, and an anti-friction bearing between said head and saidbase, said bearing eX- tending around the edge of said head and having agreater diameter than that of said annular gear.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a handle, abase rigidly attached to said handle, a motor secured to said base andhaving a vertical shaft passing through said base, a rotary headsupporting said base and having one end inclosed within said base, aworking element carried by the other end of said rotary head forengagement with a floor, an annular gear within said head, anintermediate gear meshing with said annular gear, a pinion on thevertical shaft of said motor and 'meshing with said intermediate gear,an anti-friction bearing between said head and said base, andanti-friction Ameans for retaining said head in said base when themachine is lifted from the floor.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a workingelement, a rotary head carrying said element and having an outstandingflange forming a ball-race, an annular gear within said head, a baseresting on said head and having a ball-race coperating with that of saidrotary head and havinga flange engaging the outstanding flange ofsfaidhead to prevent lateral movement of sa head, an electric motor mountedon said base and having a vertical shaft, means for `transmitting powerfrom said shaft to said annular gear, and anti-friction means carried bysaid base and engaging the under side of said head flange to retain saidhead in position and permit the head to rotate when the machine islifted from t-he floor.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of abase, ahandle secured to said base, an electric motor mounted on said base andhaving a vertical shaft passing through the center of said base, apinion carried by said shaft, an intermediate gear meshing with saidpinion and mounted Aon the under surface of said base, a ball racecarried by said base and inclosed by a depending flange on said base, arotary head, a ball race extending around the outer edge of said head,inclosed by said depending flange, an annular gear within said rotaryhead in engagement with said intermediate gear, balls between said ballraces, means for holding said head in position against said balls, and aworking element carried by said rotary head.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a base, ahandle secured to said base, an electric motor mounted on said base andhaving a vertical shaft passing through the center of said base, apinion carried by said shaft, an intermediate gear meshing with saidpinion and mounted on the under surface of said base, a ball racecarried by said base and inclosed by a depending flange on said base, arotary head having a ball race inclosed by said depending flange, anannular gear within said rotary head in engagement with saidintermediate gear, balls between said ball races, anti-friction rollersjournaled on said flange holding said head in position against saidballs, and a working element carried by said rotary head for engagementwith a floor.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a base havinga handle attached thereto, an electric motor mounted thereon with itsarmature shaft passing vertically therethrough, a ball-race carried bysaid base, a circular head supporting said base and having a ball-raceextending around. its outer edge and facing said first named ball-race,and anti-friction means at the outer edge of said head arranged topermit said head to rotate when the machine is lifted from the floor bythe handle or base, said means serving to hold the head and basetogether.

Signed at Chicago this 31st day of December 1909.

VILLIAM II. STRANGE.

lvitnesses:

ICUci-:NE A. RUMMLER, Maur M. DILLMAN.

